


Half-Blood Prince’s & Homework

by Lady_Lilith



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25430560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Lilith/pseuds/Lady_Lilith
Summary: A Harmony Story set During Half-Blood Prince
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	Half-Blood Prince’s & Homework

Harry had been different lately. Different in the fact that he had this book that gave him knowledge. Not much unlike the diary from his second year, but this one didn’t speak to him or write back. This book was full of notes and annotations. The soul of a past Hogwarts student was in its pages and Harry thought it harmless. Hermione begged to differ. She had seen the book and knew it didn’t harbor a malevolent spirit, but she was against Harry’s lack of caution. The annotations were so different from the actual recipes that Hermione believed that the book should be presented to the Board of Governors to get Hogwarts updated potions books. Ron had no real opinion of the book; he was always off with Lavender in some corner or loveseat. Ron only said to make sure Harry didn’t get caught using it to cheat. To which, Harry was adamant that he wasn’t cheating, merely following directions.

“Harry, if following directions was all it took to be good at potions, you’d have been good at it from the start. Honestly, Harry, it isn’t fair to keep this to yourself. This year’s potions class is harder even with Professor Snape now teaching DADA, Slughorn thinks you’re some sort of potions prodigy since he hasn’t seen your work before this year.”

Hermione’s words and advice always made Harry see the wider picture. At the same time, Harry did want this for himself. Harry wanted to be good in more subjects than just DADA. Harry wanted to be great at potions to stuff it in Snapes face. He wanted to have more. The childhood Harry had, left much to be desired. All his years at Hogwarts especially had been giving and giving to others. Defeating Voldemort countless times, it seemed. The Goblet of Fire. Dumbledore’s Army. This year, Dumbledore had given him a task and Slughorn was a stubborn man. The task was not easy, Harry was better at using spells than spy work. Yes, Harry felt like Dumbledore’s spy this year. Harry needed the Half-Blood Prince’s book. He needed to get through this year without seeing Voldemort’s face. He needed to be better than all the years before, only surviving through sheer luck. 

“I’m not just following the directions anymore Hermione…not anymore. I’m studying it and seeing how the potions turn out. Each time it’s really good, almost perfect even. Isn’t that better than just cheating?”

His hurt tone caught Hermione off guard. She didn’t mean to reprimand Harry harshly. They had been studying together for months now and whenever that book was present, it was red flags for her. There weren’t just potions notes, there were spells. Unknown spells. Potentially dangerous. Harry never performed them but learned the pronunciations, nonetheless. 

“It is better…but can you say that this book isn’t dangerous. After all, you had a different book a few years ago that was _harmless_ , and we know who got hurt because of it. These spells in this book, we don’t know them. You can’t go using them in the next fight with Deatheaters, Harry. We need to see what they can do before using them.”

Suddenly, Harry’s mood shifted,

“We? Don’t you mean, you, Hermione?”

His voice slightly hissing at the moment as he spoke. His eyes were dark green and his pupils…Hermione swore they flashed a speck of red. Hermione’s stomach dropped. Harry’s mood swings and behavior shifts were always sudden. Hermione had begun to have suspicions. After the brief possession, Voldemort had over Harry last year…their connection seemed much deeper than just a prophecy. Access to each other’s minds. The mood swings. The darkness that seems to loom behind his eyes at times. It’s like a part of Voldemort is always present with Harry. Hermione theorized that it may have something to do with the ritual in the Third Task and maybe even the possession last year. She was thankful that Harry had practiced meditations every day, that seemed to make him more himself. Hermione reached out and placed her hand over his,

“No, Harry, we. You aren’t doing this alone. You are my best friend Harry; I can’t let you face this by yourself.”

Hermione and Harry stood from the alcove they had been reading at and began to make their way to Gryffindor's Common Room. Each lost in their thoughts. Her moment of fright was long gone, and her Gryffindor bravery stood like steel in its place as she read through her notes once more. The glance of darkness is gone from Harry as well, his mind now trying to focus back on the pages of the potions book. His eyes were bright green once more and a small smile graced his lips. Harry himself didn’t know what was wrong with him when moments like that came over him. He was glad it didn’t push Hermione away. Harry was grateful to have her at his side for this. He paid little attention to anything else. The only other his thoughts ran across was Draco, the potential Deatheater, Snape, the known Deatheater, and Slughorn, the potential cause of Voldemort. Harry recalled running into a flash of red hair several times alongside someone with brown hair as he walked the halls while reading, as he usually did most days. Harry always assumed it was one particular person and would apologize without looking up to say,

“Sorry Ron, have fun with Lavender.”

It wasn’t until just as they were walking and Hermione had been with him this time, as he corrected. As they walked away from the pair, Hermione lightly slapped her notes on Harry’s shoulder,

“That was Ginny and Dean. From the look in her face, it seems you’ve said this often when passing her.”

Harry didn’t feel shocked at the news and merely shrugged his shoulders and smiled widely as Hermione rolled her eyes. The light of the sun coming from the windows reflected off of her skin quite nicely, Harry noted to himself. Harry had been noticing many small details about Hermione in their sudden closeness this year. Alike the year with the Goblet of Fire, without Ron, they studied more together and did their homework around the same time. Unlike the year with the Goblet of Fire, there was no tournament or dangerous event taking place to keep them apart. Harry liked how close they were. He was unfamiliar with the feeling in his chest, no, his heart. The best that Harry could describe it was the adrenaline of a Quidditch match, the excitement of a new racing broom, and the thoughts he had seeing Hermione coming down those stairs to the Yule Ball. This was no monster in his chest, this was something beautiful. Just like Hermione.


End file.
